A question about TV divorce - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Meathead1971-1978 · 01-13-2002, 10:15 PM

I was wondering. I know this doesn't happen very often but what married couples have divorced or split up on a TV series?

sreadtx · 01-14-2002, 12:53 AM

You are right it is rare for a married couple to get a divorce on a sitcom. I know that Frazier and Lillits divorced on Cheers. And Rachel and Ross either got divorced or had their marriage annuled on Freinds, but their marriage was only happened because they got drunk.

Chocoholic · 01-14-2002, 04:41 PM

On Wings, Helen and Antonio got divorced. On The Simpsons, Milhouse's parents got divorced. That's all I can think of.

TJL · 01-14-2002, 08:07 PM

How about:
On The Jeffersons - Lionel and Jenny
Mad About You - Fran and Mark
This is a longshot, since one of the characters was only seen once after the wedding episode; M.A.S.H. - Margaret and Donald Penobscott
Rhoda - Rhoda and Joe
Married with Children - Steve and Marcy

So much unhappiness in TV marriageland...

This is fun, I'll think about some more.

JT · 01-14-2002, 08:16 PM

Chuck and Viv from "Maude"

TJL · 01-14-2002, 09:29 PM

E.R. - Mark Greene and his wife.

If anyone wants to tackle the divorce tally on Dynasty or Dallas -
Good Luck!

Robert Tilton · 01-15-2002, 11:12 AM

Technically you could say Mrs. Brady on Brady Bunch was divorced before she married Mike, though we never saw Mr. Martin. It was Sherwood's intention, though it was later amended to "widowed" for divorce was controversial in them days on The Tellie.

Oh well. For a show w/No Toilet I'd say:

Let it ride.

Amen.

TV Guy · 01-15-2002, 01:50 PM

How about Billy Bob Thornton's character on "Hearts Afire". His wife was played by Wendi Jo Sperber during the show's first season, and when the show returned for a second year, she was gone and they were divorced. Or does anyone even remember this show?

Did anyone mention Frasier Crane and Lilith Sternin? They got divorced between "Cheers" and "Frasier".

TJL · 01-15-2002, 07:39 PM

Hearts Afire was a pretty good show. When they revamped it, and moved the location of the show, Billy Bob's Character was divorced. It's too bad because his wife on the show, Wendy Joe Sperber was great. I wonder why they dropped her from the cast?
I thought of another one:

Jackie and Fred on "Roseanne"

retrotvfan · 01-16-2002, 12:35 AM

Lou and Edie got divorced on Mary Tyler Moore

Josh9125 · 01-16-2002, 12:44 AM

Don't forget Mike & Gloria on "All in the Famly". Also, didn't the parents off of "Unhappily Ever After" get divorced? Also on "Reba", Reba and her husband got divored.

Jimbo · 01-21-2002, 01:17 PM

Vivian Vance may have been the first to portray a divorced woman on a sitcom, when she co-starred as Lucy's friend "Vivian Bagley" on "The Lucy Show". Lucy played a widow named "Lucy Carmichael". Vivian's character was already divorced when the series began, and occasionally this fact was mentioned throughout the series.

I'm guessing that Rhoda and Joe were the first to actually get a divorce as part of a sitcom storyline during the series "Rhonda".

Ags2000 · 01-21-2002, 05:46 PM

On The Golden Girls Dorothy and Stan

On Designing Women Suzanne and several guys.

On Designing Women Annie Potts' character (I'm blank) was divorced.

TV Guy · 01-21-2002, 06:28 PM

I believe the original poster was asking about characters who were married when the series started, and who divorced during the series. You could fill a book with already-divorced characters (Suzanne Sugarbaker, Dorothy Zbornak, etc.), but there are relatively few who got divorced mid-series, especially where both husband and wife were regular characters on the series.

I thought up another one -- Niles and Maris Crane on "Frasier", although that may not count since we've never seen Maris. But Niles and his second wife (can't remember her name, but she appeared on-camera several times), got divorced, too.

Meathead1971-1978 · 01-21-2002, 08:05 PM

Also Allan's parents on Punky Brewster. Ralph Malph's parents on Happy Days, in the last episode Donny Most appeared in from 1980.

01-13-2002, 10:15 PM	#1
Meathead1971-1978 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 03, 2002 Location: New York Posts: 25	A question about TV divorce I was wondering. I know this doesn't happen very often but what married couples have divorced or split up on a TV series?
	__________________ Andy

01-14-2002, 08:07 PM	#4
TJL Suburbanite Extrordinaire Forum Star Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: New Jersey - the cradle of civilization Posts: 16,588	How about: On The Jeffersons - Lionel and Jenny Mad About You - Fran and Mark This is a longshot, since one of the characters was only seen once after the wedding episode; M.A.S.H. - Margaret and Donald Penobscott Rhoda - Rhoda and Joe Married with Children - Steve and Marcy So much unhappiness in TV marriageland... This is fun, I'll think about some more.
	__________________ "I think I'll stroll up to the front to see how the shooting's going..." - Capt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce Read my blogs! http://centralparkamisguide.com/ http://dvdcriticscorner.com Visit me on Facebook!http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=641138880 Hey, I do the tweet thing too! http://twitter.com/TomLevier My shop of handmade items! http://www.etsy.com/shop/ColdGarageCreations

01-15-2002, 11:12 AM	#7
Robert Tilton Man of Barnes Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 29, 2001 Location: North Carolina Posts: 437	Technically you could say Mrs. Brady on Brady Bunch was divorced before she married Mike, though we never saw Mr. Martin. It was Sherwood's intention, though it was later amended to "widowed" for divorce was controversial in them days on The Tellie. Oh well. For a show w/No Toilet I'd say: Let it ride. Amen.
	__________________ Pure Oxygen Breathed In Carbon Dioxide Breathed Out And The Brady Bunch Is Like Perfect. Righteous.

01-14-2002, 12:53 AM	#2
sreadtx Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Aug 03, 2001 Location: Houston, Texas, United States Posts: 261	You are right it is rare for a married couple to get a divorce on a sitcom. I know that Frazier and Lillits divorced on Cheers. And Rachel and Ross either got divorced or had their marriage annuled on Freinds, but their marriage was only happened because they got drunk.

01-14-2002, 04:41 PM	#3
Chocoholic Member Forum Star Join Date: Dec 01, 2000 Location: Between a rock and a hard place. Posts: 11,235	On Wings, Helen and Antonio got divorced. On The Simpsons, Milhouse's parents got divorced. That's all I can think of.

01-14-2002, 08:16 PM	#5
JT Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Apr 29, 2001 Location: USA Posts: 7,223	Chuck and Viv from "Maude"

01-14-2002, 09:29 PM	#6
TJL Suburbanite Extrordinaire Forum Star Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: New Jersey - the cradle of civilization Posts: 16,588	E.R. - Mark Greene and his wife. If anyone wants to tackle the divorce tally on Dynasty or Dallas - Good Luck!

01-15-2002, 01:50 PM	#8
TV Guy Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 25, 2001 Location: Boston, MA, USA Posts: 3,419	How about Billy Bob Thornton's character on "Hearts Afire". His wife was played by Wendi Jo Sperber during the show's first season, and when the show returned for a second year, she was gone and they were divorced. Or does anyone even remember this show? Did anyone mention Frasier Crane and Lilith Sternin? They got divorced between "Cheers" and "Frasier".

01-15-2002, 07:39 PM	#9
TJL Suburbanite Extrordinaire Forum Star Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: New Jersey - the cradle of civilization Posts: 16,588	Hearts Afire was a pretty good show. When they revamped it, and moved the location of the show, Billy Bob's Character was divorced. It's too bad because his wife on the show, Wendy Joe Sperber was great. I wonder why they dropped her from the cast? I thought of another one: Jackie and Fred on "Roseanne"

01-16-2002, 12:35 AM	#10
retrotvfan another MtM fan Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 13, 2002 Location: MN Posts: 17	Lou and Edie got divorced on Mary Tyler Moore

01-16-2002, 12:44 AM	#11
Josh9125 Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 19, 2001 Location: Sunset Beach, NC Posts: 2,912	Don't forget Mike & Gloria on "All in the Famly". Also, didn't the parents off of "Unhappily Ever After" get divorced? Also on "Reba", Reba and her husband got divored.

01-21-2002, 01:17 PM	#12
Jimbo Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jul 29, 2001 Location: United States of America-One Nation UNDER GOD! Posts: 471	Vivian Vance may have been the first to portray a divorced woman on a sitcom, when she co-starred as Lucy's friend "Vivian Bagley" on "The Lucy Show". Lucy played a widow named "Lucy Carmichael". Vivian's character was already divorced when the series began, and occasionally this fact was mentioned throughout the series. I'm guessing that Rhoda and Joe were the first to actually get a divorce as part of a sitcom storyline during the series "Rhonda".

01-21-2002, 05:46 PM	#13
Ags2000 Red 2/13/90 -1/5/06 Forum Veteran Join Date: May 02, 2001 Location: Candyland Posts: 5,544	On The Golden Girls Dorothy and Stan On Designing Women Suzanne and several guys. On Designing Women Annie Potts' character (I'm blank) was divorced.

01-21-2002, 06:28 PM	#14
TV Guy Member Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jun 25, 2001 Location: Boston, MA, USA Posts: 3,419	I believe the original poster was asking about characters who were married when the series started, and who divorced during the series. You could fill a book with already-divorced characters (Suzanne Sugarbaker, Dorothy Zbornak, etc.), but there are relatively few who got divorced mid-series, especially where both husband and wife were regular characters on the series. I thought up another one -- Niles and Maris Crane on "Frasier", although that may not count since we've never seen Maris. But Niles and his second wife (can't remember her name, but she appeared on-camera several times), got divorced, too.

01-21-2002, 08:05 PM	#15
Meathead1971-1978 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Jan 03, 2002 Location: New York Posts: 25	Also Allan's parents on Punky Brewster. Ralph Malph's parents on Happy Days, in the last episode Donny Most appeared in from 1980.